A hand grenade explosion was reported from Colombo suburb, Wellawatta, area short while ago, May 31. According to the Police, three civilians were suffered injuries due to the explosion occurred in densely populated area along the Colombo- Galle road. Victims were rushed to the Kalubowila teaching hospital, one person seriusly injured.

Sri Lanka called on Western powers to be wary of imposing sanctions for alleged human rights violations, warning that the action could worsen the conflict.

"It is necessary to have sympathy for and understanding of the problems of a developing country grappling with terrorism," International Trade Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said in Washington. "And to cut off resources, to threaten to withdraw trade benefits and GSP (General System of Preference) are unhelpful as that will only mean the dissemination of poverty, deprivation and adversity," he told AFP.

Minister Peiris said under such sanctions and other pressures on "a democratic Government pitted against terrorism, you can't possibly prevail." The Minister was in Washington for talks with US officials and to woo US investors to set up business in the Eastern Province.

The US State Department said Thursday that there was no military solution to the ethnic conflict, and emphasized the need for a political settlement. "We have said repeatedly that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka and there needs to be a political solution," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Evan Feigenbaum. AFP

When a senior Cabinet Minister of Sri Lanka Government leads a demonstration calling for the demise of the United States in front of the American Embassy in Colombo the U.S. State Department, the foreign policy and foreign relations arm of the U.S. Government, seriously considers it an expression of the Sri Lanka government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The report of the demonstration received here in the State Department describes the organization Sri Lanka Palestinian Solidarity Association as a group that has been associated with Rajapaksa for more than thirty years.

In fact, the Colombo American Embassy will not fail to report that the organization is headed by Mr. Rajapaksa who is currently the country’s president. 'Death to America' protest rally recently held in Colombo'Death to America' protest rally recently held in Colombo

If the American Mission reports that the Cabinet Minister attended and led the demonstration with the concurrence of President Rajapaksa, it is a total misinterpretation but such interpretations cannot be avoided.

On the other hand, if the demonstration was not given patronage by a Rajapaksa government minister the State Department here wouldn’t have taken it very serious.

The minister who participated and led the ‘Death to America” demonstration was Labor Minister Athauda Seneviratne.

The American Embassy report of the demonstration calling for the demise of the United States arrives at Washington State Department at a time another senior minister of Sri Lanka Prof. G.L.Peiris is here, as the emissary of Rajapaksa, to engage in negotiations with American officials to maintain and extend the concessions of GSP when he told the AFP news service "and to cut off resources, to threaten to withdraw trade benefits, GSP (General System of Preference) and so on -- all of that is unhelpful because that will only mean the dissemination of poverty, deprivation and adversity.”

Reggie Ranatunga, MP for Gampaha (United People's Freedom Alliance), passed away at a private hospital in Colombo, a short while ago in a private hospital. He was ailing for some time.

A staunch SLFPer and he held important posts in the party and the Government. The former Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province last entered Parliament after fellow parliamentarian from Gampaha, Sripathi Sooriyarachchi died in a car accident a few months ago. Ranatunga is the father of Sri Lanka's legendary cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga, at present Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, who is also a Member of Parliament representing the Colombo District.

Civil Defence Force personnel on duty at Yaya 18 (zone 18) village on the borders of Wilpattuwa jungle confronted with a group of terrorists last night (May 30).

According to the defence sources in the area, the terrorists had forcibly entered into a civilian house around 7.45 pm and started butchering the innocent residents. Alerted by the wailing residents the Civil Defence Force personnel had rushed to the location and confronted with the terrorists who attempted to continue their cowardly attack at the civilians, said the sources. After a brief confrontation the terrorists had fled to the Wilpattuwa jungle, the sources added.

One Civil Defence Force personnel suffered gunshot injuries in the attack. Also, a 50 year old mother of the house that the terrorists had raided was killed and her husband was seriously injured. The two injured people later succumbed to injuries at the Anuradhapura hospital, said the sources.

Police acting on an information received from intelligence sources found 5 jackets designed for the LTTE suicide bombers from Maina Doopatha (an islet) in the Chilaw area this evening (May 30). According to the police sources, only four out of the five jackets were filled with high explosives.

Police said the jackets were unearthed from a location close to an abandoned Hindu Temple around 6.30 pm. A person was also detained for further inquiries, the sources added.